Exhibitions Overview

The Langley Centennial Museum’s exhibition areas are divided into two main galleries: the History Gallery and the Temporary Exhibitions Gallery. The displays in the History Gallery reflect Langley’s distinction as one of the oldest municipalities in the province. Here you can discover our collection of First People's woodcarvings, tools, stone sculptures, and basketry. Learn how early Asian and European pioneers adjusted to their new land. Visit the recreated Michaud parlour and the Noel Booth Store to see what life was like for those that came to call Langley home.

Our Temporary Exhibitions Gallery displays temporary exhibitions of art, history, or science with a local, regional, national, or international focus. You might find Canadian art, quilts, fossils, or photography. The exhibits change several times a year. You will be surprised by what you see and by what may be coming next! Click here to see what is on now.

Treasures From Our Collection

This thematic display of treasures changes seasonally and allows the museum to exhibit some of the artifacts from the museum’s permanent collection that visitors don’t often get to see. Past displays have included:

Hats

Remembrance Day

Lighting

Photography

The British Empire

Travel and Collecting

You will be surprised by what you see and by what may be coming next.

Foyer Art Program

The Museum's Foyer Art Program provides local artists with a chance to display their work. The highly visible space in the Museum's Foyer gives artists an opportunity to showcase their work and gives the people of Langley a chance to learn more about our local artists.

Congratulations to all of the 2014/2015 selected artists! To see who is currently displaying their work at the museum, click here.

Applications are accepted to the Foyer Art Program every Autumn. The application form will be available here or at the museum for the 2015/2016 year by the end of August. Please contact the museum at 604.532.3536 or curator@tol.ca for more details.

More Information

Langley, BC – The Langley Centennial Museum and the Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation are collaborating on a unique art exhibition focused on motherhood, titled The Art of Motherhood. In doing so, the two organizations are asking artists to submit works for inclusion in an exhibit and auction, scheduled for Summer 2013. Plans are for the exhibition to raise awareness and funds for The Vandekerkhove Family Maternity Centre.

Throughout history, mother and child were often depicted in paintings and sculptures. From Egyptian frescoes to contemporary works by Canadian artists, children and mothers have been celebrated. A display featuring motherhood-inspired art is the perfect opportunity to showcase Langley’s longstanding medical history while raising funds for the ongoing campaign to expand the Maternity Centre. The hospital, which was built sixty five years ago, has natal facilities that have not kept pace with the birthrate. Langley Memorial Hospital has one of busiest maternity units in the region, with approximately 1,800 births per year. Staggering statistics demonstrate that the projected number of births at LMH is expected to increase to more than 2,300 by 2020.

The number of births at Langley Memorial Hospital has increased from 85 per year in 1948 (when LMH opened) to 1,800 per year in 2010. But the number of beds for these babies to be born in has only increased by 2 – from 11 to 13.

Under the theme “It All Starts Here”, the Foundation has undertaken a capital campaign to raise $5.35 million, for a long-overdue expansion to their maternity unit and clinic, from private partners and members of the community, so they can continue to give the newest members of our community the best possible start in life. The Foundation relies on the generous support of the community to ensure that the highest quality of healthcare can continue to be delivered right here at home in our community hospital. The Foundation is pleased to announce that more than $2.6 million has been raised to date!

The idea for The Art of Motherhood exhibition initially surfaced in conjunction with the museum’s upcoming exhibition From Bedpans to Bandages: the History of Medicine in Langley. Both exhibitions hope to raise awareness of Langley’s pioneering medical history as well as the new needs of the growing municipality. The Art of Motherhood exhibit will be held from May 9 to July 4, 2013, with an opening reception at a Mother’s Day tea on Sunday, May 12th. The live auction will take place at a garden party at the Museum on Thursday, July 18th, after the exhibition closes but during From Bedpans to Bandages.

Artists aged 15 and above are invited to submit works for adjudication, presentation and sale. Participants are expected to commit a minimum 50% donation of the proceeds of the final bid amount that their works sell for at auction. The deadline for entries is Friday, April 12th for an opportunity to participate in history and raise funds for the maternity centre expansion!

Established in 1985, the Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation has raised more than $30 million to support Langley Memorial Hospital and the healthcare needs of the Langley communities.